


Yoyo Time

by Megchad22



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Apocalypse, David "Dave" Katz Lives, M/M, Not Season/Series 02 Compliant, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:00:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25867057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megchad22/pseuds/Megchad22
Summary: It should not surprise anyone when a stolen briefcase/ time machine does not act like it was supposed to.   Trying to get back to 2019 dumps Dave and Klaus a little bit further than they intended.
Relationships: Dolores/Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves
Comments: 7
Kudos: 217





	Yoyo Time

It should surprise absolutely no one to find out that Klaus did not actually know how the briefcase he stole after being tortured worked. While it is romantic to think that he decided to stay in Vietnam solely for Dave, the reality is one unplanned trip through time was quite enough. 

It should also surprise no one that a machine wrapped in black leather used to travel through time is not actually built for war. The briefcase spent 17 month being banged around humid jungles then another 3 being banged on a road trip to see different sights in the US. 

By pure luck the bullet that in another universe would have taken Dave’s life, instead grazes his armpit. The scar was actually worse than the wound, as it was an extremely difficult area to keep free of infection. 

After 20 months in the past Dave and Klaus felt they were ready to head to the future. Klaus smiled at the man he considered his husband as he rotated the tiny dials. He set what he thought was a few hours after he used the briefcase for the first time. Then he linked arms with Dave and opened the leather bound case. 

They did not end up on a bus, days before the end of the world. 

The world flashed blue and when the light faded they stood in a ruined world. The air was thicker than a humid jungle. Ash quickly coated them. 

Klaus felt his eyes grow wide, the hand holding the briefcase reflexibly opened. The briefcase dropped to hit the stone with a loud crash. Sparks started flying from it. Klaus looked down at the electrified leather, “uhhh, that’s not good.”

Dave snorted, a sound that cut off into a cough as he accidentally breathed too much of the ash in the air. Klaus rubbed his back until he was able to breath normally, “The fuck. This is not the future I was promised.” 

Klaus tilted his head, “Yeah...we must have missed our landing a bit.” He looked down at the now faintly smoking briefcase, “‘m sorry, Davey. I don’t know how we’re getting out of this. ”

Dave shifts to pull Klaus closer, “No worries, darlin’, we’ll figure it out. I’m guessing this is the apocalypse your brother mentioned.”

Klaus reached down to pick up the briefcase, still faintly smoking but no longer sparking. “Must be. I wonder when we are though.” He peered around, “I’m also wondering where all the ghosts are. Not that I want them here but...”

Dave looked around as well, as if he could see the spirits that should have been screaming from every surface, “Could still be high enough not to see them.” Dave reached toward the stash of pills they kept in his pack unconsciously. They would need to ration them even better now. Fuck.

Klaus shook his head, “Even when I’m high I can still feel them pressing in, I just can’t see them. It’s still there but very faint. Even less than when we were in Iowa and there were like 10 ghosts in the whole state.”

The sound of a gun cocking interrupted them. Klaus and Dave spun around in a move that they would never admit was carefully coordinated. It had taken many long hours of hard work and giggling to get them to be able to turn as one unit, Dave essentially picking Klaus up to spin with him. 

A man stood about 6 feet away with scraggly black hair and beard. His eyes were dark and wild and it was impossible to tell how old he really was. A mannequin sat in a wagon a few feet behind him.

Klaus straightened up, “Five” he cheered happily. “Mein Bruder.”

The other man stared at them, his shotgun lowering along with his jaw. Klaus raised his hand in greeting, the sleeve falling back to reveal the Umbrella on his wrist. Five peered at the mark, “Klaus?!”

A wild grin stretched itself across Klaus’s face. He grabbed Dave’s wrist with the hand that was not holding the briefcase to pull his husband forward. “You’re looking older than the last time I saw you, so you must be younger, right?”

Five was still looking at him with a slacked jawed expression. Then the gaunt other man dropped the rifle and lunged forward. If Five had not been dangerously thin, even more so than Klaus used to be, or Klaus had not put on some healthy weight in the intervening months he would have been knocked over when Five crashed into him. He dropped the briefcase again, this time it bounced off the boots he was really glad Dave convinced him to buy, as well as Dave’s wrist for a moment to wrap around his brother. 

Five wasn’t crying but he was making a strange keening sound as he wrapped himself around Klaus. Klaus patted his back comfortingly, though possibly a little harder than he should. 

Finally Five pulled away, his eyes red rimmed and wild. “How? How are you here? How did you survive?”

Klaus couldn’t help but grin at his freaked out brother, he was just enough of a shit to find this lack of composure amusing. “Same way you did, I expect.”

Dave elbowed him when Five’s face shifted, still looking closer to crying than he had ever seen of his aloof brother. Klaus felt a little bad at that. This was not the young old timer that had promised him $20 only to renege. This was a young adult who had been left alone for far too long and probably still thought he was hallucinating. 

Klaus let the wince pass over his face, “Sorry, time travel shenanigans dropped me into 1968 where I met Dave and stayed for almost 2 years. We were aiming for just after I left but ended up here instead.”

The calculating look on Fives face looked off, like it did not quite sit right on his face. He glanced back at the mannequin, then nodded once. “How did you time travel?”

Klaus gestured at the briefcase that was still half on his foot, the smoke was finally dying down some. “That is part of the shenanigans. Masked freaks attacked the house, looking for you. They took me instead, tortured me for information about you. I was rescued by a friend of Diego’s and grabbed their briefcase on the way out. Unfortunately it was not filled with something I could. Instead it dumped me in the Vietnam war.” Klaus shot a sly glance at Dave, who stood amused next to him, “I mean it did seem to work out well for me...”

Klaus trailed off as a dark figure appeared through the ruins. The dark figure was towing another figure so white it was almost translucent. The darker figure looked up, it was Ben. “Klaus” He shouted in a pitch that was just shy of a screech. 

The white figure didn’t quite resolve itself into anyone recognizable but as soon as it caught sight of Five it began to wail “I’m sorry” over and over again.

Klaus jolted back, “What the fuck?” The was something about the white figure that was so much stronger than the usual ghost. Also Klaus had not yet come down enough to see anyone but Ben. 

Ben’s form seemed to get sharper and he jumped. His eyes flew to the white figure, still wailing. Ben leapt for the figure. He managed to turn the figure so Five was no longer in it’s line of sight and the wailing ceased. Then he turned back to Klaus, “You’re back. Where have you been?”

Dave stepped up to put his hand on Klaus’s shoulder, grounding him. It was then that Klaus realized how much he had started to shake. Klaus was not sure what about them that was rattling him so. It was not like he had not seen Ben before. 

Five swung around to peer at the place that Ben was standing, “Who's here?” he asked, going for cool and logical a missing by several feet. He was still too tense. 

“Ben.” Klaus uttered softly. Five jerked then nodded. Something took his stomach on a rollercoaster ride. Five was the only one of his siblings to simply accept he saw Ben, no argument. “There’s another...something with him. I-I can’t make out any features.”

Only now that he said it the white figure was starting to become more solid, a little more aware. 

“How long has it been?” Klaus asked Ben.

The ghost sighed deeply, “18 years since the bus, give or take a few months. The world ended a few days after you vanished”

Klaus looked back at Five, “18 years, man that sucks.”

Five frowned then looked at the mannequin, “Delores says that sounds accurate.” A defensive look crept up Five’s face, “She keeps time better than I do.”

Klaus threw his arms wide, wrapping one around Dave, “I’m not surprised. You’ve got that genius thing going on, too much going on in that big brain to deal with little things like timekeeping. I would say I’m put out that you haven’t introduced your lovely lady to us yet, but I try not to be a complete hypocrite.”

The thirteen year old Five that Klaus had secretly been watching for for years and the sixty eight turned thirteen year old Five Klaus had most recently met would both have rolled his eyes at that announcement. Ben did roll his eyes. The white spirit had turned slightly toward him of its, no her, own accord but thankfully did not begin to scream. The thirty one year old version of his brother made a face that wobbled. Then it shifted to a glare as if to harden it against tears. “This is Delores, my fiance.”

Klaus’s grin widened, “Oooh, engaged. Congratulations brother dear. And welcome to the family Delores, we are all crazy. Not necessarily in a fun way either. That being said, if you hurt my brother I will have to hurt you. This is Dave, my husband.”

Dave leaned on Klaus and nodded at Delores and Five. “Five, Miss Delores.”

Klaus loved Dave so much. It was one thing for Klaus, who frankly had one of the most surreal experiences ever, to roll with half a mannequin fiance. It was quite another for Dave to do so as well. 

Five nodded, something that was not quite relief played in the lines of his body, “Hello Dave, same warning. You hurt my brother I hurt you.” Then he twitched, “Ben’s here?”

Kluas nodded, his eyes tracking the two ghosts. 

The white figure had turned to catch sight of Five again and began wailing about being sorry. However her voice was starting to sound familiar. It took another moment for Ben to get her quiet. Then the black clad brother turned to Klaus, “Tell him we’ve been here since the beginning.”

Klaus relayed the information. Five’s face went through a complicated dance. Grief so strong it was staggering shining through with contradictory hope and hopelessness. 

It never occurred to Klaus before but his brother would likely have found their bodies. Something uncomfortable settled in him at the thought. 

Five straightened, “We should get back to my base, the sun will be going down soon.”

The time traveling duo followed Five through the ruins, two ghosts following slowly behind. Ben pulled the female ghost, keeping her carefully turned away from Five. Her form seemed to be getting more defined and she occasionally moved on her own, but she still wailed whenever she caught sight of the thirty one year old survivor. Halfway through their trek she became defined enough that Klaus was able to see her face and he jolted.

It was Vanya.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

An interesting fact that no one knew. The briefcase should not have been able to bring them to the year 2037. The earliest the briefcase should have deposited them was 2069, where the Handler would have recruited the sole survivor of the end of the world. 

Humidity, mud (made up of many more things than just dirt and water), and the less than careful handling by a time traveling addict had disrupted some of the more delicate parts of the machine. It is only through luck that it worked at all. 

Instead it dropped Klaus Hargreeves and Dave Katz, both of whom have a vested interest in the world not being destroyed, into the only period of time that the Time Commission is unable to access. What’s more it dropped the Seance, who could speak to the dead, next to his brother who could time travel (badly) and his ghost brother and sister (both of whom know exactly how the apocalypse happened). They were outside the reach of the Commission and in possession of a (broken) time machine. 

The Commission had no idea what did or would hit it. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Klaus managed to keep his thoughts to himself until they were settled in the ruined library Five was using for shelter. 

As they travelled Vanya grew more distinct, more human. She was still a pale white from the crown of her head to the top of her feet. She was dressed in a pure white suit. About halfway through she began to move on her own with occasional prompting from Ben. Sometime after that she stopped wailing, instead she started begging. “Tell him I’m sorry, Klaus. Please tell FIve I’m so sorry.” Over and over again. 

Once they were settled Klaus held up his Goodbye hand before Five or Dave could say anything. “I know we have tons to talk about but before we go any further. Vanya and Ben are both here and Vanya has been begging me to apologize to Five for her for an hour.”

Five blinked, “Ben and Vanya are here? They didn’t move on?”

Klaus didn’t recognize Fives tone of voice, though the notes of devastation were at least familiar. Ben did though, “Tell him it’s not because he couldn’t bury us. The others were here for a while too.”

Klaus passed on the message and Five relaxed somewhat. He pursed his lips, “The others were here? For how long.”

Klaus translated as Ben spoke, “The older Five passed as soon as the younger Five arrived, he said he couldn’t watch himself after he failed.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Five interrupted, “Older Five? I figured it out? I got back?”

Klaus blinked, “Yeah you popped in just before Reggies funeral. Apparently you didn’t listen to poor Delores when she said you got your equations wrong though. You arrived looking 13, despite being almost 60.”

Five grimaced, “She was telling me the other day that some of my equations looked off.” He visibly restrained himself from going off on a tangent, “The others?”

“Luther and Allison passed on about 5 years in. Allison wanted to find Claire and Luther...”

“Followed Allison.” Five finished. 

Klaus nodded and pointed at Five. 

Ben smiled, “Diego passed on about eight years ago. There was a bad night, Five found a wine cellar intact. The amount he drank that night...Diego said he couldn’t watch another sibling destroy himself.”

Klaus paused, not sure if he should tell his brother why Diego had passed on. He was an asshole but not sure it would be a good thing to essentially say his brother left because of him. He almost made something up about Diego trying to find his lady detective. But something in Five’s face made him speak truthfully. 

Five crumbled. Klaus and Dave lunged forward to catch him. They held him between them as he sobbed. Ben and Vanya, at last looking more lucid than not, crowded closer together. 

It was the first time in two apocalypses that Five truly let himself mourn the family he buried. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It took another eight years for Five to complete his calculations. Sadly the briefcase was beyond repairing, even if any of them knew how to repair it. Five was able to use the settings to refine his formula as they knew two settings and when those settings went to. From there they were able to figure out what each dial did. 

In that time Klaus, partially willingly, became sober. They simply ran out of drugs about 2 years in. With sobriety he found the ability to make ghosts corporeal, telekinesis, the ability to push ghosts away from himself, and possibly the ability to banish ghosts (there were only two to practice on and he didn’t want to risk not being able to bring one of siblings back). 

Vanya and Ben both believed that if Klaus could call a ghost, he could possibly trap a ghost. 

Between the ghostly members of their family everyone had a good idea of exactly what caused the apocalypse. They had discussed and discussed how Vanya issues ran into everyone else's issues. Klaus promised to help her get off of her pill safely, and they discussed the pills themselves.

Dave and Klaus(when he wasn’t training his powers) took over scrounging for supplies. Five would be able to transport them to an area farther than they could walk and they would spend a few hours ensuring they collected absolutely everything in the wagon Five provided. One of the ghosts would accompany them and the other would remain behind, then Klaus would make the ghost who had stayed behind corporeal when they were ready to come back to base. 

At last they were ready. The six of them sat together (Three humans, two ghosts and a mannequin who was possibly the sanest of them all) reviewing the final calculations. Five had admitted that the calculations he would have used if it had been just him were very different than the ones needed to take into account multiple people. 

Now there was one last thing before the attempt. Klaus looked at his ghost siblings, “What will you do?”

It was bittersweet. There was no way for the ghost to come with them. Five had calculated that in order for Ben and Vanya to come with them he would have to access the same dimension as Klaus. If that had happened Five would end up dropping them at random points throughout the timestream.

If their timeline wasn’t so tight, trying to return to before the other Five would apparently have disastrous consequences, they might have risked it. So they were saying goodbye to two of their little family.

Ben leaned on Vanya, their contrast black and white striking against the beige of the ruins. “I think we’ll pass on before your guys go. We don’t want to get caught if the world shifts because you changed things.”

With that the two ghosts stood and hugged each of the living adults. Vanya even gave Delores a hug. Over the years they had all grown to be able to hear her, if not as frequently as Five did. About three years after Klaus and Dave had arrived they had a beautiful ceremony to marry Five and Delores. Then the pair of ghosts faded. 

The last ghosts in the world crossed over. 

The last three humans gathered their things, carefully situating Delores in her wagon. If it had only been Five and Delores he would have projected their consciousness forward in order to go back. That would have landed him at the funeral and her back at the department store. As he had to create a more physical way to travel in order to allow Dave and Klaus to travel with them (and not have Dave end up somewhere in the 1960’s all over again) He had to calculate a way to physically transport them to the past, which meant that Delores could travel with them. 

Once they were gathered together, Five’s hands flash a blue that was three shades darker than usual. Then they were all gone. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alarms began to ring throughout the Time Commission. The walls themselves seemed to be shaking apart. Yelling sounded. Half of upper management simply vanished. 

Without the apocalypse there was no resettlement of Earth 4000 years after the world ended. Humanity had been reseeded to its original planet as a museum by a being that could have loosely been called an eccentric had it been human. It very much wasn’t.

It had been the residents of the reseeded Earth that had first discovered time travel. They had built the first briefcases, intending to go back and prevent the end of the world. As far as they were concerned anything was better than what was being done to their planet. 

One of those people had been Reginald Hargreeves. 

Their attempts almost worked, and almost entirely destabilized the time stream. In response the being, who not a single human had ever met, created the Time Commission. 

Irony is that without time travel, the spontaneous gestation of 43 young women on 10/1/1989 would not have happened. It was simply a reaction to an instability caused by time travel. 

The very moment that Five, Klaus, Dave, and Delores re entered the timestream prior to the apocalypse the Time Commission ceased to exist. No apocalypse, no Time Commission. No apocalypse, no time travel. 

The timestream sneezed. There is no other way to describe the destabilization that brought parts of the Time Commission back into existence and ensured that Reginald Hargreeves still took the right 7 children into his Umbrella Academy. Time becomes stable again. And the Time Commission has found that in spite of whatever they thought the day before their job was now to maintain the timeline by preventing the apocalypse. 

And there were time travelers in 2019. This bears investigation. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  
  


March 26th 2019, six of the seven members of the Umbrella Academy(Most of the Academy thought it was five) were drawn from their own drama (and the approaching funeral of their adoptive father) by a loud crackle from the courtyard. 

They crowded together outside to see a series of flashing blue lights each flash getting darker. The final flash was dark blue that was almost blinding and when it faded the Umbrella Academy were treated to the odd sight of three men and a wagon with a dirty mannequin. 

“Uhhhh,” Klaus said nervously, “Have I taken something I plan on or does everyone else see an older me?”

A second glance proved that Klaus was not actually hallucinating, the tallest of the three did appear to be Klaus, albeit a Klaus with a scraggly greying beard. The other Klaus saw them and waved happily with the hand that was not holding onto the handle of the wagon. 

The curly sandy haired man to the left of the other Klaus shook his head as if to clear it, “That is a hell of a thing. Good Lord.”

The other Klaus shot him an amused side eye, “Yeah, not exactly the same sensation as the briefcase.”

The straight haired brunette on the right of Klaus interrupted any response by beginning to slump to one side. Without even looking at each other Klaus and the other man moved to bracket the brunette. 

“You get Five, I’ll get Delores. We’ll get them into the kitchen.” The other Klaus said as he easily assisted the other man in getting a good hold on the slumped man. Five? Was that Five. Then he went to carefully pick up the mannequin. “Oh, he should be fine Delores, dear. Likely just a little exhausted. Pulling four people through time is a real energy drain.”

The members of the Umbrella Academy followed three strange men in the kitchen of the building they grew up in. One of them might be another Klaus and one might be Five but they were still strange. Klaus and the curly haired brunette were chatting with what might be the mannequin. 

Once they reached the kitchen, the stranger deposited Five into one of the kitchen chairs. Five seemed to be slightly more aware than he had been but was still slumped over, head nearly touching the table. Klaus pulled out a chair and propped the mannequin next to Five at the table.

Klaus spun to take in their audience, “Vanya, darling, would you be willing to make one of your famous Peanut Butter and Marshmallow sandwiches. I swear Five has been talking about them every chance he gets. And in eight years that is a lot of mentions.” He glanced toward the mannequin and his playful smile widened, “Apologies, he’s been talking up these sandwiches since he met Delores, twenty six years ago.”

Vanya, feeling a bit dazed herself, moved to make a sandwich for her long lost brother, “Twenty six years? It’s only been sixteen.”

The other Klaus snorted, “Technically for me it’s been ten years.Time travel. 0 out of 10 stars would not recommend.”

The curly hair stranger elbowed the other Klaus lightly, “I feel like I should be offended.”

The other Klaus flapped his hand, “Hey, you are certainly worth the time travel, the torture, and the war but that does not mean that the expeirience sucked any less, husband mine.”

The stranger considered this, “Fair enough. It is easier to say it is worth it lookin’ back than it would be looking forward, darlin’.”

The other Klaus and the stranger exchanged soppy grins. 

Five groaned and reached for the sandwich Vany had put in front of him, “Ugh, I thought we agreed to give me a head start when you two started flirting again.”

“What is going on here?” Luther interrupted. 

Five looked up at Luther, his face took on a strange twist, “Well, ” he said slowly, “Klaus and Dave are physically incapable of keeping from flirting for ten minutes, which is interrupting my enjoyment of the sandwich I have been dreaming of for 26 damn years.”

Dave laughed, “Oh fuck off. We have heard the sweet nothings you and Delores whisper to each other.”

The other Klaus cackled. Five sat straight up to point dramatically at Dave, amusement lingering on his face. “What Delores and I have is pure. Klaus and yours is a sordid relationship where you...”

“Dance like nobody's watching.” Dave interrupted drily. 

Five nodded with the air of having this discussion many times before. “Yes. Which is frankly a good thing because you have the rhythm of a drunk toddler and Klaus dances like he is surrounded by mosquitos.”

The other Klaus’s eyes narrowed as he peered into one of the corners. “Hey Benny-Boy, would you mind stepping out of the room a minute?” He turned his head to look at something off to one side of the kitchen, “Because I am not sure how great my aim will be and I don’t want to banish you on accident.”

The Klaus from 2019 was looking between the other Klaus and the blank space. After a few minutes his eyes tracked something only he could see apparently leave the room. Then the Other Klaus’s hands lit up blue. Four women (two with broken necks, one with blood trickling from her nose, mouth and eyes, and one with a visibly broken back) appeared, screaming. The only ones who didn’t jump at the sudden sound were the two Klaus’s, although the one from 2019 looked pained, and Five who had finished his sandwich and had put his head back down. Klaus' hands glowed brighter and the four women disappeared. 

The other Klaus slumped against Dave, the glow fading from his hands. “Fuck, that’s exhausting.”

Dave wrapped his arm around the other Klaus, “maybe try one at time next time, sweetheart.”

“My aim isn't that good yet, ‘swhy I had Ben leave. I didn’t want to catch him by mistake.” He looked toward the entrance of the kitchen. Relief flowed onto his face at what he saw there, “Good to see you weren’t caught in the crossfire, Benny boy.”

“You’re sober.” Diego stated, wonder in his voice. 

The other Klaus nodded, “Six years now.” 

Luther nodded, “Good, then maybe you can conjure Dad.” Luther shot a disapproving look at 2019 Klaus, who didn’t notice as he was still staring at the other Klaus with wonder in his eyes. 

“No” the other Kluas chirped, pointing at Luther.

Luther sputtered, “What? If you’re really sober we need to talk to Dad.”

“The only way I am going to summon that bastard is to trap him in a small dark space with ghosts that want to hurt him.”

“Or so I can kick his ass.” Dave interrupted.

“Or so Dave can kick his ass. Not much cause for asking him questions then”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The funeral is delayed by an hour to allow the returned time travelers time to clean up. Five and Delores eschewed Five’s childhood bedroom. Instead they set up in a room just a little down from the guest room that Klaus and Dave had claimed as theirs. 

Five stepped out of the bedroom. He was freshly shaved for the first time since he was 14. He had been handed some of Luther’s old clothes, which were in better condition than what he had brought with him. His hair was short and he was clean. Klaus had swept through 15 minutes prior to collect Delores, saying that he was going to do her makeup. 

Dave was waiting, also freshly washed and shaved. He peered up and down the dark hallways with a perturbed look on his face, “Suddenly an awful lot of your issues make sense.”

Five thought about being offended but realized that of all of them Dave did actually have the background needed to judge. “It still boggles the mind that Klaus managed to snag himself a stable adult”

Dave shrugged, “Maybe I’m only stable because Klaus snagged me.”

Five stilled, “That,” he said while repressing a shudder, “is utterly horrifying. And at least 6% soppier than usual.”

They started walking toward the room Klaus had claimed to ‘have room to work’.

Dave laughed lightly, “Only 6%, I’ll have to try harder.” 

“You’re nervous. ”

Dave winced “No..Yea...A litte.” he sighed, “You and Klaus missed them so much. I just...I don’t want to be the reason Klaus loses anyone.”

Five rolled his eyes, “If anything, you are going to be the reason why we don’t lose anyone. We are not a stable people.”

Whatever Dave was planning on saying died on his tongue as Klaus stepped out of the room holding Delores. Klaus was dressed in a long black skirt and a silky black blouse. He had shaved off his beard, and had managed to cut his hair to just under his ears. “Wow” Dave whispered, sounding dazed. 

Five felt the same. Klaus had somehow found a black sequins shirt for Delores and had carefully redid the makeup that had long since faded. She looked majestic as he took her from Klaus. She looked happy. 

After handing Delores over to her husband Klaus came to lean against Dave, who promptly wrapped his arm around Klaus waist. “I was just telling Delores that we’ll have to go shopping once everything calms down.”

They could practically feel Delores roll her eyes, “ _ When is anything ever calm. But if we do go, we should take Vanya too. _ ”

Klaus, as the one who had most recently wandered these halls, led them through the mansion towards the courtyard where they met with the others. For a moment the older Klaus peered out at the gorgeous colors of a clear sky at sundown and frowned. 

Not a drop of rain anywhere. 

“Coulda sworn it was raining last time around” Klaus muttered to himself, then shrugged. It had been ten years ago and he had high at the time. At least they didn’t have to worry about sharing umbrellas. 

There was no wind as the ash fell into a pile on the ground. Everyone stood around awkwardly, even Pogo was silent in the face of newcomers. They stood for 10 minutes in silence. 

The older Klaus leaned more on his husband, “How could this possibly be more awkward than the last time around?Last time Diego and Luther got in a fight that destroyed Ben’s statue.”

Ben perked up, “I do hate that statue, think we can get them to do it again?”

2019 Klaus peered at his brothers. Luther held himself stiffly, a baffled look on his face whenever he looked at the newcomers. Apparently Luther was unable to compute the simple, unadorned ‘no’ from the Other Klaus. Diego looked only half as angry as he usually did and just dazed enough that Klaus wondered if Diego had been slipped something. “I never thought I would say this but I don’t think either of them want to fight right now.”

The loud sound of Five portaling to the other end of the courtyard drew attention. The man, still holding half a mannequin, appeared next to Vanya. There was an intent look in his eyes as he started speaking to their sister quietly.

The other Klaus practically danced up to him and Ben, “Mini me, Benny-boy we have an adventure we need to go on real quick.” he chirped as he started to guide 2019 Klaus in doors. Four feet from the door he stopped, then snapped his fingers twice. “Five” he called out.

Five looked up from his conversation with Vanya, “Yes?”

“We need high grade explosives.” The entire courtyard went silent at those words. Five’s face shifted slightly and the younger Klaus could have sworn the creepy mannequin in sequins looked over at them. “For the Mausoleum.”

2019 Klaus froze, his eyes going wide. The breath in his lungs went solid for a moment. 

Five pursed his lips and nodded, “Fair enough, we’ll plan it a few weeks out, make a day of it.” Then he turned to Vanya, “Would you like to accompany Delores and I as we help Klaus blow up the small dark place where Reginald used to lock him up with violent ghosts?”

The silence should not have gone any deeper. It did. The non time travelers’ in the courtyard turned to stare at the pair of Klaus’s. Pogo made a pained face, guilt radiating off of him. Grace simply smiled at all of them blankly. 

2019 Klaus watched as Dave pressed a kiss on the Other Klaus’s cheek, “Enjoy your adventure, dear. I’m going to help keep the peace here.”

Other Klaus grinned and grabbed 2019 Klaus pulling him into the kitchen. The last thing 2019 Klaus heard was Diego going, “He locked Klaus where?”

In the kitchen Other Klaus turned to 2019 Klaus, “Alright, it’s been 10 years and today was pretty hazy anyway, did you already pawn the box you took from Reggie’s office?”

2019 Klaus crossed his arms, “I suppose this is where you lecture me on stealing from family, having seen the light when you got clean?”

Other Klaus huffed a laugh that made his skirt shake, “Oh fuck no. I’ve changed in 10 years but not that much. Steal all of Reggie’s stuff, it’s all good. But the box you took had some of Reggie’s training journals and it's best that they don't end up in just any jackass’s hand, you know.”

It was hard to argue with that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Thankfully Klaus had not yet opened the box into the dumpster. The Other Klaus was quick to pull the books and papers from the box. Then he handed the empty box back with a wink and the suggestion to keep it from Luther sight to avoid a lecture. Ben had sighed deeply at both of them.

Unfortunately there was not time before they all regrouped in the sitting room with the bar for 2019 Klaus to go and pawn it, thus he was far more sober than he wanted to be. On the upside the Other Klaus was keeping the ghosts at bay.

Vanya looked a little more pale than she usually did. Her eyes were flickering between people nervously. She was standing off to one side with Five and the creepy mannequin. 

Luther looked frustrated and confused. His arms were folded in front of himself aggressively, standing straight and stiff in the center of the room. He glared into the middle distance. 

Allison was looking cool as a cucumber. Only the fact that Klaus had grown up with her let him see past the polished mask. When the pair of Klaus’s, accompanied by an invisible Ben, entered the room her eyes tracked them.

The Other Klaus veered off to sit next to Dave on the couch closest to Five. The stocky man immediately twisted so his head was resting on Klaus’s lap with his legs dangling over the arm of the couch. Then he closed his eyes as Other Klaus threaded his fingers into Dave’s hair. Luther’s entire stance seemed to grow stiffer. 

Diego moved so quickly that Klaus did not have time to yelp before his black clad brother had pulled him into a hug. Klaus flailed as he tried to figure out how to return the hug without being stabbed. After a long, awkward moment Diego abruptly let go only to grab Klaus and drag him to sit on one of the other couches. Even after sitting Diego did not let go of his wrist. 

“Can we get some answers now that everyone is here?” Luther bit out.

Five, who had carefully placed the mannequin on the other side of the Other Klaus, leaned against the back of the couch cooly. “Almost everyone is here. Klaus?”

The Other Klaus looked up, “Hmm. Oh right.”

Then his hands grew blue, still buried in Dave’s hair, and Ben became visible. He was standing with his blue glow next to the couch where Diego and 2019 Klaus were sitting. Half the room gasped.

“Ben” Allison whispered. 

Ben startled and looked down at his hands, “You can see me?”

“It’s easier to have a family meeting if everyone is present. Having Klaus play translator is a waste of time.” Five said.

Chaos broke like a wave over the group. It took a good twenty minutes before the Hargreeves who had never time traveled to stop hugging and fighting over Ben. Ben himself looked slightly overwhelmed with the attention. In the end the Klaus that was sober had to adjust it so that Ben was visible but not tangible. 

After everyone had settled back into their places, Five took over speaking, “Now we’re all here.”

Both Klaus’s snorted. Vanya flashed Five a watery smile, “Could you give us the whole story?” she asked hesitantly, “I mean what you told me earlier...”

Five straightened from where he was leaning against the couch, “Hope you can all keep up,” he muttered. “When I left I time travelled” He said louder.

“That seems self-evident” Allison interrupted, gesturing at the two Klaus’s. 

Five made a frustrated noise, “Do you want answers, or do you want to comment on my story telling technique.”

The Other Klaus laughed, “You’ve forgotten what they’re like, mein bruder. If there is something to comment on someone in this family will.” He shot a glance at the mannequin and shrugged, “You got to know the more polite siblings first, Delores dear. Barring your husband and I of course.”

The sigh Five let out was so put upon it weighed about three pounds. “Questions and comments can come after the explanations.” He waited until the rest of the room indicated their agreement, “When I left the house in 2002 I time traveled and got stuck about a week from now. Do you know what I found?”

“Klaus?” Diego asked.

The Other Klaus shook his head, “I come in much later, or earlier as the case may be.”

“I came in earlier, you just came in confused.” Dave responded without opening his eyes. 

The Other Klaus gasped in a way that sounded absolutely delighted, “David! Teasing me about how I arrived in your tent. After I was tortured at that, I must be rubbing off on you. I’m so proud.”

“We’ll do the rubbing part later dear, stick with pride for now.”

“Are you two satisfied, at least for a minute?” Five asked, exasperated, “Can I get back to my part of the story.”

The Other Klaus gave it some thought, “I think we've satisfied the urge for a few minutes. Go ahead. ”

Five rolled his eyes but continued, “There was nothing, not a single thing had survived. There were barely two stones standing on each other in most places. I found Luther, Allison, and Diego. All dead. I found Delores about two weeks in. Found Vanya’s book, which told me why I never found Ben at least. As far as I knew it was just me and Delores for 18 years. Then Klaus and Dave arrived. That was 10 years ago.”

The Other Klaus shifted slightly, “I guess my part of the story, then. This is the second March 24th I've had. In the first one Five arrived alone, he was physically 13. According to him he had been away for 45 years. In those 45 years he managed to make some...friends who did not appreciate that he was trying to stop the appocalypse. They attacked the house, ended up grabbing me instead. A day or so of torture and I stole what I did not know was a time machine with a hair trigger. No one was more surprised when I opened what looked to be a briefcase and ended up in 1968 Vietnam.”

“I beg to differ on the surprise thing” Dave countered. In the interim he had grabbed one of Klaus’s hands and was running his fingers over it soothingly. “I woke up to a flash of blue and a bleeding angel in a towel and a black coat appearing next to my cot. You at least had the benefit of some weirdness in your life.”

“Pshaw, there is not enough weirdness in the world to make one ready for surprise you’re fighting in a war that ended 20 years before you were born. Anyway, we served together until we were discharged 17 months later, spent 3 months on a road trip to see the sights. Then we tried to get back. Instead of landing a few hours after I left we landed 18 years in the apocalypse. Where we met up with Five.”

“Thankfully,” Five interrupted smoothly, “with Klaus also came the ability to see Ben and Vanya, who had stuck around after the end of the world. They said the others had been there for a bit as well but passed on before Klaus arrived. They were able to tell us what ended the world.”

There was a beat of silence, then two. Then Ben sighed the deep sigh of the sane one in a group of crazies “What caused the end of the world?” 

“We did.” Klaus chirped, “It was a collective effort. I mean, Vanya was the bomb” here he flashed a smile at his pale sister, “but we all definitely contributed.” 

Disbelief bloomed across several faces, only to fade into concern when Five did not contradict Other Klaus. Luther was the first to shake off the shock, “That’s not possible, how could Vanya have ended the world.”

Vanya flinched slightly at the derision in Luther’s voice. It was nothing new or even fully realized. It was simple the way he had thought about Vanya for so long it was an automatic reflex. 

Five rolled his eyes, “You don’t doubt that we could end the world, but doubt that Vanya was the bomb? Don’t answer that. Vanya has powers.” Five gestured at the Other Klaus, who stopped petting Dave long enough to pull a small red book with RH on the cover out of a pocket. He tossed it over to Five. “This book details our early training, including Vanya’s. When we were 4 Reginald decided that Vanya’s powers were uncontrollable. He drugged her, even made Allison rumor her.”

From the way Allison blanched she had abruptly remembered the soundproof room Vanya’s ghost had told them about. “I am so sorry” she breathed at Vanya. 

2019 Klaus was staring at the book, his eyes cut to the Other Klaus who nodded. This exchange was ignored by the vast majority of the room. 

There were other matters to deal with after all. 

  
  
  
  
  


Bonus scene: Three weeks later

Klaus was filled with curiosity. His older self was out with Allison, Vanya and the mannequin named Delores. Luther and Five were off submitting the former’s research to NASA. Diego was training for a fight. Dave was lounging in the sitting room with a book. 

Ben had stated he wanted no part of this and remained upstairs. 

“Hey Davey” he purred in, if he did say so himself, a perfect imitation of his older self. The same tone tended to make Dave go pink in the ears and dark in the eyes. 

Not this time though, the other man just turned a page in his book, “Hi, Mini Klaus”

“How could you tell?” Klaus huffed,

“You don't move like my Klaus.”

Klaus leaned over the back of the couch, “I could be your Klaus.”

Dave never even looked up, “No you couldn’t. Nor do you want to be.”

Klaus’s curiosity increased. He didn’t even feel offended by the statements. “Why do you say that?”

Dave closed his book and sat up, twisting to look directly at Klaus with a kind smile. “First of all, because you’re not actually trying to seduce me. I would guess that if I tried to take you up on what you are implying you would back down immediately. I know you Klaus, because I know where me and my Klaus were ten years ago.”

“And where was that?”

“Not looking for anything long term. Call it what you will but if you had told either of us exactly who we had found in each other before we were knee deep in love, we both would have run the other way.”

Klaus was surprised. The Other Klaus and Dave were in the kind of love that existed in fairytales and were not afraid to show it. “Really?”

Dave nodded, a soft smile on his face. “Really. I was a closeted gay soldier who figured I would die before I had to deal with being gay. Klaus was an accidental time traveller, recently tortured and honestly believed all he was good for was short term. We started off as stress relief in a stressful place.”

The Other Klaus practically danced into the room. Out in the hall they could hear Vanya and Allison heading further into the house. Klaus could actually see the difference. Dave’s eyes immediately moved to take the Other Klaus in, they grew warmer. More than any simple attraction. 

The Other Klaus came to rest next to Dave, who immediately pulled the lanky man closer. The Other Klaus hummed and closed his eyes. Content.

Dave was right about one thing, the thought of being that comfortable around someone was uncomfortable at best. 

Klaus was not in a place where he wanted what his other self had. 

He might never be. 

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of things. I went back and forth if I was going to kill of the younger Klaus before the time travel could happen. In the end I decided it felt like I was letting the family erase Klaus for 'better Klaus'. I also had a scene that refused to be written where The Older Klaus rips into the Hargreeves siblings because they kept comparing 2019 Klaus to Sober Klaus. Maybe I'll manage it as a one shot. I also really like the thought of the Klaus's being at very different points in what they wanted romantically speaking. 
> 
> And no even I don't know if Delores is a shared delusion or something Other. She and Five are happy though, that is what counts


End file.
